


Take My Hand

by astraplain



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-09-24
Packaged: 2018-04-16 22:39:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 4,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4642689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astraplain/pseuds/astraplain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A visit to Kurt’s basement storage unit takes a dangerous turn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“There was no way Carmen would pick a Katy Perry/Nine Inch Nails Medley for her showcase,” Kurt insisted, bouncing down the stairs just ahead of Adam.

“He wasn’t likely to get a golden ticket anyway. Peter just wanted to see the look on Carmen’s face.” Adam looked around curiously at the basement, most of which had been sectioned off into storage compartments for the building’s tenants.

“Voila!” Kurt opened the plain black door labeled “4″ with a flourish revealing a small room lined with metal shelves loaded with boxes and storage tubs. “Everything my former roommates couldn’t be bothered to move. I’m sure Rachel’s old camera is here somewhere.”

“You’re sure she won’t mind my borrowing it for a few days?” Adam asked as Kurt dove into the first box, rifling the contents with enthusiasm if a bit less care than usual.

“Positive. She told me to do whatever I wanted with ‘that old junk’.” Kurt paused long enough to look up at Adam. “A decided change in attitude from six months ago when she called from California every other day demanding that all of her 'mementos’ be properly preserved for her future museum.” Kurt held up a sweater with a moose on the front. “Future museum patrons owe me a favor.”

“They certainly do,” Adam agreed. He moved closer to get a better look at those mementos only to back away when his phone rang. “Sorry. I’ve got to get this.”

Adam stepped out of the storage room to take the call and Kurt turned his attention back to the box. He really should start to clear this out now before it was time to move. Rachel had pre-paid her share of the rent for the rest of the lease but Kurt had already started looking for an apartment closer to NYADA and Vogue.com.

“Camera, camera,” Kurt sang as he closed the box and surveyed the shelves. There was another likely box on the top shelf and he lifted up on his toes intending to bring it down to ground level for easier sorting.

He’d just gotten a grip on the box when the lights flickered and went out. Seconds later the room shook with a series of increasingly violent tremors. The shelf Kurt had gripped for support creaked and groaned, then pitched forward, taking Kurt with it. 

He was weightless for a moment and there was a riot of sound. His vision flared white and dust and metal filled his mouth. Gravity returned, doubled, then fell away into nothingness, taking Kurt with it.


	2. Chapter 2

“Adam!” Kurt coughed and tried again, calling a little louder this time. “Adam!”

It was pitch black and the air was thick with dust. Something heavy was pinning Kurt down at an awkward angle while what felt like boxes and metal shelving pressed into his back. 

He could move his left leg a few inches but his right leg was pinned. Thankfully his head was free, even if he couldn’t move it much or take more than shallow breaths. His arms were outstretched - the left one to the side and his right overhead. He wasn’t comfortable, but he wasn’t in serious pain either. The only thing that worried him was his hands; the left one was tingling but he couldn’t feel the right at all.

“Adam!” he called again, trying to make his voice heard over the approaching sirens. “Adam!”

Desperate, Kurt lurched forward, hoping to shift some of the weight off his chest. A box moved, followed by the clattering of small rocks or debris.

“Answer me, damnit!” Kurt screamed. He gasped from the effort and blinked rapidly to chase away the dust from his eyes. Something under him was poking him in the back.

His ringtone sounded odd and Kurt wondered if the phone was damaged. He flailed, trying to free his arms or at least assess the damage. He was rewarded with a metallic clang and a flare of pain from striking the edge of a metal shelf.

The ringtone stopped.

“No. No. Come on.” Kurt worked harder, fighting against the awkward position and the unseen obstacles keeping him pinned. Something shifted beside his left leg and he suddenly had free space to move it. Encouraged, he used his foot to push at the debris.

The sirens were much louder now, and he was sure he could hear the distant murmur of voices.

“Adam Crawford!” Kurt used as much air as he could to increase the volume and duration of his shout. Spent, he fell back and panted, closing his eyes for just a moment as he waited for Adam’s answer.


	3. Chapter 3

Adam pushed the debris away one-handed, cradling his phone against his chest. His left arm throbbed and he was struggling to catch his breath in the dust-thickened air. What little light there was came from the three small, barred windows high on one wall. Whatever had happened blocked most of one window and broke the glass on the other two. Over the relentless ringing in his ears, Adam could hear sirens, but the sound was muffled.

“Kurt!” He shouted, wincing as the sound pierced his aching head.

He looked at the rubble blocking his way to Kurt’s storage unit and the metal staircase, twisted and hanging limply from a few remaining bolts.

Moving closer to the windows, he almost cheered at the sight of one bar on his phone. Poking out the letters with one finger, he sent a group text to the Apples: Kurt & I in his apt basement. Trapped. Call 911.

For good measure, he climbed carefully onto some of the debris and pressed his face as close to the broken window as he dared, calling out for help several times before stepping back, lightheaded from the effort.

“Kurt!” He called again as soon as he’d caught his breath.

The wooden wall that divided the open basement from the storage rooms had warped and splintered under the weight of the upper floors. The entire space had the feeling of sloping toward the front left corner where the one window had been mostly obscured. That end storage unit was partly crushed and the sight of it made Adam swallow heavily against the sting of bile.

Unit four of six was a little more than half-way along the width of the room and Adam set off, determined to reach it, and Kurt, aching head and arm be damned.

The ringing in his ears was louder now and the volume increased every time he leaned down to pick up another bit of wood or concrete. The floor overhead was ominously dark but he thought he could see cracks, or perhaps jagged edges. The materials he was moving had to come from somewhere. He wondered what Kurt’s apartment looked like and if Kurt’s neighbors, Casey and Mark were still away on vacation.

“Kurt!” Adam tried one more time before giving up to concentrate on getting to Kurt’s storage unit. The door was at a slight angle, but still upright and thankfully, the damaged staircase wasn’t blocking it. Adam used his feet to clear just enough space to open the door, cringing as dust and small bits of wood rained down on him. There was a distinct creaking sound, clear even over the ringing, and Adam inhaled sharply and froze. It felt like hours, but was less than a minute before he moved again, managing to squeeze into the tiny space created when the door opened. Shelves and boxes prevented him from moving any closer but there, just a few feet away, was Kurt. Even injured, covered in dust, and sandwiched between cardboard and metal, the sight of him took Adam’s breath away.


	4. Chapter 4

Adam could see Kurt’s mouth moving, but couldn’t hear what he was saying over the relentless ringing in his ears. Frustrated, he shook his head and tapped his right ear. Kurt frowned, then nodded and tried again, mouthing the words in exaggerated syllables so Adam could understand him.

“Oh,” Adam said after reading Kurt’s lips. “I’m OK. Bumps and bruises mostly. My ears are ringing.” He tapped his head, then winced, making a mental note to not do that again. “Are you hurt?” 

Kurt’s mouthed “no” wasn’t completely convincing, especially while he was pinned between metal shelving and half-buried in boxes. His arms appeared to be at odd angles and essentially useless. It might have been the dim lighting, but Adam thought he saw a streak of blood.

“Sent a text to the Apples to call 911.” He held up his phone as if to prove his statement, then returned it to his pocket and bent down to move an upended box out of the way. There wasn’t anywhere to put it so he carried it out to the open area and kicked aside some fallen items to make a space. 

“Let’s see if we can get you free before the rescue workers get here.” Adam hoisted another box and carried it out too, ignoring the throbbing pain in his left arm. He moved some wood and kicked away some rubble. Inching his way forward he leaned over as far as he dared without bracing himself against the fallen shelving. He could almost reach…

“No, no. Don’t hurt yourself,” he pleaded as Kurt writhed and kicked, trying to work himself free. The shelving creaked worryingly, and something that had once been on the other side of the wall, tumbled down to land against the outer wall.

“I’ll check the window,” Adam said once he’d understood Kurt was telling him the sirens had stopped. “Stay still, I’ll be right back.”

Adam gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile before hurrying out to broken windows. He needed to make someone out there hear him. 

Adam wasn’t willing to tell Kurt how worried he was, or how unlikely it was that he could safely free Kurt without the storage room wall falling, or worse. Without help, the best Adam could do was to find something to prop up the top shelving unit long enough for Kurt to get loose. 

“HELP!” Adam shouted as loud as he could, getting as close to the broken window as he dared. He called again and again, but no one seemed to hear him. He looked around for something that he could do to draw attention.

“Why didn’t I think of this before,” he muttered, annoyed at himself. Taking off his light blue shirt, Adam picked up one of the longer pieces of wood and tied the shirt around the end. He shoved the cloth-covered end out the window and waved it.

After only a few minutes of this, he was tiring. Just as he was scanning the floor for something to prop his makeshift flag, he heard a very muffled sound that could be voices.

“HELP!” He shouted, ignoring the rawness in his throat. “HELP!” 

He fell silent at the sight of legs approaching and put all his energy into waving his flag.


	5. Chapter 5

Kurt heard voices. He forced his eyes open, fighting the heaviness pulling at his mind and body.

“Adam?” He’d heard Adam calling for help, but that seemed like hours ago. What if something had happened? “ADAM!” 

“I’m here.” Adam limped through the doorway, shirtless and streaked with dirt. He was holding his left arm stiffly against his side. “The rescue workers are trying to find a safe way to get us out.” He laughed ruefully. “At least that’s what I think they said.” He touched the side of his head lightly. “My ears are still ringing.”

“Your arm?” Kurt asked, mouthing the words with exaggerated pronunciation.

“Hurts a bit.” Adam confessed before asking, “You?”

“Hurts a bit,” Kurt echoed, managing a smile before he tried once again to wriggle free of shelving and tumbled boxes. He’d managed to shift a couple of inches toward freedom but he was limited by whatever was trapping his arms. Kurt suspected that his right arm was broken, or at least badly bruised. The left arm just seemed to be stuck. He couldn’t feel either of his hands.

“Don’t hurt yourself,” Kurt pleaded as Adam shuffled closer and picked up a cardboard file box. Determined, he just gave Kurt a smile and carried it away. He was back a minute later to pick up a plastic storage tub but he set it down again when his phone vibrated.

“It’s probably going to be at least an hour before they get through,” Adam told Kurt after reading the text. He looked down at the storage box and sighed before using it as a seat. “They said not to move around in case more debris falls.”

Adam reached over as far as he could, his hand stopping inches away from Kurt. Kurt tried again to move, but gave up, exhausted.

“Your shirt?” Kurt asked, to fill the silence, shortening the question for simplicity’s sake.

“Sacrificed for a good cause,” Adam assured him. When his flag had been sighted, one of the firemen had used a bright flashlight to look through the broken window into the basement. It had taken a bit of effort to make them understand Adam couldn’t hear their questions and in the end he’d given them his cell phone number so they could communicate by text. Thankfully he’d charged his phone earlier in the day.

Even with the ringing in his ears, Adam could hear machinery nearby. He hoped that meant they’d be rescued soon. Kurt appeared to be sleeping and he was ready to follow. Adam knew he should probably stay awake, and probably keep Kurt awake too, but his head was throbbing and Adam just wanted to rest for a moment.

He’d barely closed his eyes before he was asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The strobe light was a terrible idea, Kurt concluded. Adam encouraged the Apples to experiment with song arrangements, choreography and lighting but sometimes an idea didn’t work. Like this. Kurt frowned as the tableaux flashed into his brain intercut with darkness.

Have I been drinking? he wondered, a sense of disconnectedness seeping into his semi-consciousness. Smoking? Nadia had a reliable source but Kurt rarely indulged. He did feel kind of floaty.

A high-pitched whine told him someone was using power tools nearby. Maybe they were building sets? He caught a glimpse of a man in a face mask and nodded. At least he tried to.

“Hold still.” There was a gloved hand on his face. If they were doing costumes, he’d find a way to put Adam in leather pants. 

“Kurt? Can you hear me?”

“Adam?” A flash of light. No, this wasn’t Adam. Kurt wanted to sit up but he couldn’t move. “Adam!”

“He’s OK.” The hand moved down to his shoulder. “You need to stay still so we can cut you free. Adam’s on his way to the hospital and you’ll be joining him soon.”

“Hospital?” Kurt tried to move again, but the hand held him firm. The machine's whining got louder and Kurt flinched, suddenly aware that his head was aching. Bits of memory came back and he finally managed to force his eyes open long enough to confirm that he was still in his basement. Apparently they were cutting the shelves to free him.

“Try to relax. I gave you something for the pain.” The EMT had the same kind of laugh lines around his eyes as Kurt’s father. The thought made Kurt smile as his eyes closed again.

The whining moved closer and Kurt’s teeth ached with it. He was worried about Adam but it was too noisy to ask for more information about him.

More than anything. Kurt wished he could hold Adam’s hand.


	7. Chapter 7

“Sir?” A hand closed around Adam’s right wrist and lifted his arm. “Can you tell me your name, sir?”

“Hmm?” Adam mumbled, blinking several times before abruptly coming to full alert. “I’m Adam Crawford. That’s Kurt Hummel. You need to help him.” 

“We are helping him. Looks like you could use some help too.” The woman assured him. She had a comforting smile and Adam managed to remain still long enough for her to check his vitals. The ringing in his ears wasn’t gone, but it had decreased in volume enough to allow Adam to hear the people around him discussing the Kurt.

“Will they have to cut him free?” Adam asked, worry making him want to move. He took a deep breath in and let it out slowly and deliberately, trying not to pull away from the EMT who was tending to him.

“Possibly. Why don’t we get out of their way so they can help your friend.”

“Husband,” Adam said quickly, getting the word out before he could second-guess himself. They weren’t exactly official, but they’d talked about it, and Adam couldn’t stand the thought that he might not be allowed to see Kurt once they got to the hospital. He held his breath, waiting for the woman’s reaction.

“Husband,” she repeated without censure. “Well then, let’s get you out of here so they can take care of him.”

A man not much older than Adam joined them and helped to prepare Adam for transport while they both peppered him with questions. They refused his offer to walk to the ambulance and insisted he go to the hospital now rather than waiting for Kurt.

In other circumstances, Adam might have argued, but he really wasn’t feeling well and he didn’t want to be a distraction. He turned his aching head toward Kurt and kept him sight as long as he could.


	8. Chapter 8

“Mr. Crawford, please. Get back in bed.” The nurse took Adam gently by his uninjured arm and guided him and his IV pole back to his hospital bed. “I’ll tell you as soon as I have any new information.”

“It’s been hours, Linda,” Adam fretted. “There has to be some news by now.”

“These things take time.” Linda waited for Adam to settle back on the pillows before covering him with the bedsheets and blankets. “You’ll be of no use to your husband if you’re exhausted. Get some rest and I’ll let you know when they’re bringing him up.”

Linda reconnected the monitors that Adam had disconnected and patted him on the shoulder. His left arm was in a cast and he had an assortment of cuts and bruises but the worst injury was a concussion. He’d been through a battery of tests to make sure there wasn’t any internal damage and they were keeping him overnight for observation and because it was clear he wasn’t intending to leave without his husband anyway.

“Close your eyes, I’m going to use this cool cloth to wipe your face. You’ll feel better.” He’d been grimy when they’d brought him in and he’d been given a sponge bath once his injuries were treated, but the cool cloth served its purpose, helping to relax him while the pain reliever Linda had added to his IV started to work. Adam’s eyes fluttered, as he stubbornly fought to stay awake, but finally he gave in and slept.

Linda left the room quietly and called down for news on Kurt Hummel. Stacey laughed when she picked up the phone.

“Hello again, Linda. Mr. Hummel will be up soon,” she promised. “They’re setting his right arm now. Circulation was restricted to his left hand for a while so they had to check it, but it’s fine now. The right hand though, it’s all cut up like it was tangled in a wire mesh or something. I don’t have the full report yet but I heard one of the EMTs say they had to cut him free, first from a bunch of metal shelves and then from whatever he was tangled up in. He’s pretty bruised up, especially on his back and torso, but no internal damage. He’s got quite a concussion, though.”

“Thanks, Stacey. His husband is very worried. I promised to let him know when I had more information, but I just got him to sleep. Can you call me when Kurt is on his way up?”

“I won’t have to,” Stacey said, sounding amused. “Just listen for the singing.”


	9. Chapter 9

“Moving forward using all my breath,” Kurt sang softly, brushing his hand lightly across Adam’s lips. Adam was lethargic from enforced stillness, stuck in their hospital room until the doctor cleared them to go home. Burt and Carole were flying in from Washington, D.C. to stay with them for a few days and the Apples had volunteered to supply food and run errands

“Making love to you was never second best,” Adam sang the second line, unable to keep the smile from his face. That line was one of the reasons they’d chosen the Modern English tune as their song.

“Don’t let me stop you,” Linda said as she knocked lightly on the door frame and entered the room. “I’ve got some paperwork to go over with you and the doctor should be here soon.”

“I’ll stop the world and melt with you,” Kurt and Adam sang the final line in harmony and bowed their heads in acknowledgement of her applause. They were still rather the worse for wear, bruised and headachey with Adam’s left and Kurt’s right arms each in a cast. It was going to be tricky navigating the city for a while, but there were plenty of people willing to help. Kurt already had some clothes and personal items at Adam’s and Adam kept similar items at the loft.

“You’re making my job easy - you’re both getting the same instructions.” Linda reviewed their prescriptions and reminded them of warning symptoms that required a call to their doctor. When she was finished she set the papers aside and asked, “Do you have somewhere to stay?”

“We’re going to my place,” Adam told her, earning a confused frown.

“Your place?” Linda clearly wanted to say more but was being polite.

“We haven’t been married long.” Kurt explained, giving Adam a wide-eyed adoring look that was just a bit over the top. “We were clearing out the storage unit at my old apartment when the building next door collapsed and this happened. He lifted his right shoulder to indicate his arm, then winced.

"You might not want to move that too much,” Linda reminded him, giving him a pat on his left hand. “Now that the paperwork is taken care of, let me check where the doctor is. You’ve got some anxious visitors in the waiting room.

"My dad’s here?” Kurt gave Adam an excited grin. “And Carole?” he added quickly.

“Yes, and a bunch of people calling themselves Apples. They were singing so I knew they were here for you.” Linda laughed, “I’m going to miss that. I don’t many serenades.“

"Life should be more like a Broadway musical,” Adam teased.

“Complete with intermission,” Linda agreed. “Now let me find your doctor.”

As soon as Linda was out of the room, Kurt leaned over and touched the inexpensive ring on the chain around Adam’s neck. Kurt had a similar ring on a chain around his own neck. He and Adam had bought them from their favorite street vendor, entranced by his magical stories. He’d assured them the rings would bring luck and, in a strange way, they had. Given the damage to Kurt’s building, they could have been seriously injured or worse.

“I would, you know,” Adam said, reaching out with his good hand and taking Kurt’s. He twined their fingers and lifted their combined hands. “I’ll stop the world and melt with you.”

“Is that a promise, Mr. Crawford-Hummel?”

“To infinity and beyond, Mr Hummel-Crawford,” Adam replied, because as much as he loved musicals, the score hadn’t been written yet that expressed how much he loved Kurt. 

They’d just have to write it themselves.


	10. Chapter 10

“Surprise!” Muriel flung open the door to Burt and Carole’s hotel suite and bounced into the hallway to greet the new arrivals.

“We’re unofficially celebrating your unofficial marriage,“ Carole explained as she gestured grandly for Kurt and Adam to enter. 

"Oh, my,” Adam murmured as he took in the sight of his and Kurt’s motley assortment of friends and colleagues decked out in rather odd, mostly mismatched finery. 

“Balloons, streamers and flowers?” Kurt narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his dad. It was his ninth birthday all over again, when Burt had gone overboard with the decorations. And yes, there was a pile of presents and a cake. All that was missing was the party hat. 

“Hold still,” Muriel instructed as she settled a black cardboard top hat on his head while Carole put a matching hat on Adam. 

“Don’t forget the rings,” Burt reminded them, grinning so hard that Kurt knew it was going to be bad.

“For the happy couple,” Isabelle announced as she held up two gold hula hoops before handing them over with great ceremony. “By the power invested in me by Vogue.com, I pronounce you fashionable. It’s up to you to prove how well-coordinated you are.”

“Hula! Hula!” the group chanted as Kurt and Adam kissed briefly before placing the hula hoops over each other’s head, mindful of each other’s injured arms in matching casts.

“Shall we?” Adam asked, giving Kurt a look that was equal parts amusement and challenge.

“Oh, we shall,” Kurt replied, eyes bright. He hadn’t even considered Adam with a hula hoop but now… This would be one challenge Kurt wouldn’t mind “losing”.

“Move it, boys!” Muriel crowed, while the rest of the group called out encouragement. Kurt wasn’t bad but the sight of Adam moving his hips like that made it impossible to concentrate.

“Better put that tongue back in your mouth if you want some cake,” Carole teased when Kurt’s hoop had fallen for the third time and he didn’t bother to pick it up. 

Kurt would have been more embarrassed if she wasn’t looking a little flushed herself.

“Works both ways,” Burt said, laughing when Carole stuck her tongue out at him. He moved to stand in front of the table where plates, cups and silverware were waiting on a plastic tablecloth. The cake was on a small table to one side, but there was no food on the larger table. 

“You don’t want to hear me make a big speech so here’s the deal,” Burt said, “Someday we’ll be doing this for real but for now, let’s just celebrate Adam and Kurt being out of the hospital and mostly healthy. No more close calls!”

“Here. Here.” The crowd cheered. Peter handed his camera to Nadia and went to the door where a quartet of college-aged men in rainbow shirts entered, each carrying two large insulated bags. 

The group applauded as stacks of pizza boxes were revealed along with a large container of tossed salad, cans of soda and bottles of beer.

The four pizza delivery people took their bows and the ginger on the far left stepped forward.

“The Perfect Pie is honored to deliver pizza for your unofficial wedding reception.” He presented a clear plastic box containing a garlic knot to Kurt and Adam. “Congratulations.”

The deliverymen left and the group descended on the food and drinks.

“Pizza?” Kurt asked his dad, smiling at the man’s delight in his own cleverness.

“They said good taste prevents them from catering a real reception but delivering to a fake one was acceptable.”

“Thank goodness for that,” Kurt said fervently, earning a laugh and a quick kiss on the cheek from Adam before he was dragged away by some of the Apples.

“You could always have what Finn wanted for his reception,” Carole chimed in. She took a drink of her soda before adding, “Sliders and onion rings.”

“Tater tots!” Peter chimed in followed by most of the rest of the group suggesting foods usually considered inappropriate for a wedding reception.

It ended, as things usually did when the Apples were involved, with singing, dancing, and a whole lot of laughter. 

 

::end::


End file.
